tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528246176614662587.post8932652962118405303..comments2023-10-27T08:58:05.463+01:00Comments on eirael: Closer Ties or Further Diplomatic Tension between Israel and Ireland?Rob Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11161685434804636265noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528246176614662587.post-17634175258214431202012-02-01T23:07:34.917+00:002012-02-01T23:07:34.917+00:00Hi Ted,
You’re welcome to the blog, and thanks fo...Hi Ted,<br /><br />You’re welcome to the blog, and thanks for the feedback after trawling through a rather long article lol!<br /><br />Indeed people used to think the “Troubles” were intractable. I remember people saying it would last another 20 years or more, even into the 1990’s when peace looked possible. Perhaps the conflict in the Holy Land can be solved in our lifetimes but I doubt it. The portents don’t support it. I hope I am wrong however. I believe we all need to squarely address at the extraordinary hatred in this conflict.<br /><br />I would agree that the factions in the North of Ireland targeted civilians quite a lot (e.g. the Miami Showband in 1974 by loyalists and the 1973 bomb attacks in Dublin). Also all lethal violence is extremely grave, so indeed it can seem almost churlish to suggest one conflict is worse than another. <br /><br />However, I believe the nature of Islamist attacks compared to paramilitaries in the North is worse in some respects. This is what led Patrick Kielty to talk about “gentleman terrorists”. They particularly go for the softest targets, and never offer warnings to minimise casualties. Similarly, I would suggest the violence in the ME is worse than that of the North in terms of the depravity, for example the suicide attacks on buses filled with women and school children in the 1990’s. Just as critical for the prospects of peace are the disturbing celebration of these events, when for example sweets are handled out when babies are butchered, and it shows the social acceptance of the most barbaric indefensible violence in Arab-Islamic society. I wouldn’t suggest the ME is worse than the Balkans but that was a very brutal conflict but that was arguably worsened by the mass genocide inflicted on Serbs by Croatian Catholics and some Muslims during WWII driven by and causing an exceptional level of bitterness and malice.<br /><br />I’m not too sure about Adams myself. I know a few people, such as yourself, who said he isn’t as biased on the conflict as some. Maybe Adams could contribute to a process, and you may be right but he is still the leader of Sein Fein and I cannot help but be reminded of the long term collaboration between the IRA and the PLO, how Sein Fein always paralleled the Catholics with the Palestinians, and the fact that Sein Fein is so pro-Palestinian that they often feature Palestinian speakers and “Mongo” Ó Snodaigh wasn’t even subjected to some censure over his Goebbels comments.Rob Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161685434804636265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528246176614662587.post-47736366493163649682012-02-01T16:28:25.315+00:002012-02-01T16:28:25.315+00:00Excellent Post Rob
A few points if I may. I tend ...Excellent Post Rob<br /><br />A few points if I may. I tend to compare the troubles in the North to the Middle East in the sense that our conflict was once considered to be among the most intractable in the world. But it has been comprehensively solved. I believe the conflict in the holy land can too.<br /><br />You make valid points about the severity of the violence in the Middle East. However I believe the violence between Catholic and Protestant in the north would definitely have been on a par with that in the ME, or even the Balkans had the British Army not been there to seperate the facions. I also believe that some of the terrorists, particularly loyalist paramilitaries were comparable to Hamas or Al Quaeda as their objective when committing attacks was to kill as many Catholic civilians as possible. <br /><br />One more thing. I have been observing Gerry Adams' views on the Middle East conflict for some time now and I honestly believe that he belongs in a different category to the likes of Boyd Barret and other zealots. I know most of us have negative views of Gerry but he does carry a lot of weight when it come to discussing the very thorny issues that have to be confronted when it comes to conflict resolution. I don't believe he is anti Israeli in the same vein as other leftists and even others in Sinn Fein. He certainly is not in the boycott and divestment camp. His welcoming of the speaker of the knesset would certainly indicate this. My main point on this is that I believe Gerry Adams is someone who could contribute positively to the Israeli Palestinian situation.Ted Leddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07099373369851406414noreply@blogger.com